Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Femi Otedola’s memoir, Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business, has won the 2026 Business Council for Africa (BCA) African Business Book of the Year Award.
The award, presented by the Business Council for Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Africa Finance Cooperation (AFC), African Business magazine and BrandComms, recognises outstanding books that deepen understanding of Africa’s business environment, entrepreneurship and economic development. Mr Otedola’s memoir emerged as the winner from a shortlist of prominent titles exploring leadership, finance and Africa’s economic transformation.
The recognition comes less than a year after the memoir was officially launched in London on 18 August 2025, with a simultaneous global release in hardcover and paperback through Amazon and other international booksellers.
Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business
Unlike many business autobiographies, Making It Big combines memoir with practical lessons on entrepreneurship.
Throughout the 286-page memoir, Mr Otedola recounts his rise from modest beginnings to becoming a billionaire at the age of 41, detailing his ventures in oil and gas, shipping, power, real estate, and finance, while reflecting on major business setbacks, recoveries, and the role resilience played in rebuilding his fortune.
The memoir recorded an impressive commercial debut. Within 24 hours of its release, it climbed to No. 4 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list in the Business Biographies and Memoirs category before rising to No. 1 in Amazon’s Starting a Business category weeks later, where it also attracted five-star reader ratings.
The memoir received endorsements from several leading African figures, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Aliko Dangote and Akinwumi Adesina, who described it as an important contribution to African business literature and a valuable guide for entrepreneurs.
Mr Otedola later revealed that he began writing the book in 2017 and completed the manuscript in 2019, but postponed its publication due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually releasing it in 2025.
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Otedola reacts
In response to the latest recognition, the chairman of FirstHoldCo and Geregu Power expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying the award affirmed the purpose of writing the memoir.
In an appreciation made available to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Otedola wrote, “Thank you to the BCA African Business Book of the Year team for this generous recognition. Making It Big was written to tell the truth about the journey — the risks, the setbacks, the resilience, and the leadership required to build a business, especially in Africa.
This honour humbles me, and I extend my warm congratulations to the other winners. I am grateful that the book is resonating with readers and entrepreneurs across the continent. I am hopeful that it will inspire entrepreneurs to keep building and giving back. I am grateful that the book is resonating with readers and entrepreneurs across the continent. I am hopeful that it will inspire entrepreneurs to keep building and giving back.”
